


Liability

by NightmarishDaydream



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, Happy Ending, The Law of Surprise (The Witcher)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:08:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24483283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightmarishDaydream/pseuds/NightmarishDaydream
Summary: Liability - the state of being responsible for something, especially by lawTanea knew she was meant to do more than sleep with any man who would pay 40 crowns for the night. How she would get there, however, was beyond her. That is, until a certain witcher passed through for a night of fun. Maybe this would have to be her way out.This same fic can be found on Wattpad under the same title, by the author "Nightmare-Daydream" (me)
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Nothing ever changed between the days that passed. Men came and went like the pigs they were. I, in the meantime, had to keep a smile on my face and my voice sweet to keep the coin coming. Even now, as I stand at the edge of the main room, I maintain a demure smile on my face as the eyes of customers roam their options.

"Sometimes it feels like we keep seeing the same faces over and over again." I didn't have to turn to know who had stopped beside me.

"Regulars is what keeps the coin flowing, Amrynn. Isn't that what Marquise always says?" Amrynn scoffed at the comment but maintained a perfect smile. Eyes were everywhere. Even as we spoke quiet and hateful words, we remained poised and alluring.

"Sometimes I question whether or not I made the right choice, being a strumpet," Amrynn muttered, a man passing by and sending a provocative wink to the elf. She tucked her blonde hair behind her pointed ears and smiled sweetly at the man in response.

"Better than being stuck in the other brothels, in my opinion. At least these men can afford to pay the price," I whispered between a tight-lipped smile.

"But we're still-"

"I know." Our conversation ceased after that, Amrynn moving to another part of the room to convince some men to spend their coin on her. I am not proud of my line of work. In fact, I'm downright disgusted by it. No woman in her right mind wanted to sell her body to strange men for their pleasure. But these women, they don't have a choice.

"How much for this beauty?" I turned and peered up through my lashes at the man who approached me. He was a regular customer around here. I wracked my mind for his name, but I had never bothered to remember it. My body fell into its usual routine without much thought on my part. A sweet but seductive smile, the torso bent towards the customer, and the eyes raking their body as if it's all you desired. Simple, but effective.

"Who, me?" I purred in a voice that did not feel like my own. The man seemed to like this and readily pulled out a purse of coins. He leaned forward so that his lips were next to my ear.

"Yes, you, little fox," he growled in an unpleasant tone. I swallowed any disgust I felt and ran a finger down the front of his tunic.

"I'm flattered." I held out my hand and the man dropped the coin purse in it.

"Follow me."

~~~

Slipping on my outfit over my undergarments, I left the room uneventfully to deliver the coin purse to Marquise. The man, whose name still leaves me, was sound asleep on the bed. He had paid enough for the room, so I didn't bother to wake him. I found Marquise sitting at a table with a glass of something strong. The older woman had pulled out her book of expenses and was making a note of something.

"Here's for the nobleman in the green tunic." Marquise took the coin and began counting what was inside.

"He paid for the room as well." Marquise nodded and made a note of that in her book.

"Did he give you any trouble, Tanea?" Marquise asked, glancing up briefly. I shook my head in response.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, no." Marquise nodded before taking a sip of her drink.

"Marquise." Both of us turned at the call of her name to find Amrynn waiting there. "Word is that there's a witcher in Novigrad. And, he has plenty of coin to spend." My eyebrows rose at the news. A witcher? I had never met one in person, but I always heard stories of cold and ruthless witchers who killed monsters with ease. I shuddered at the thought of having to face a kikimore or an endrega. Even for payment, I couldn't imagine it possible.

"What makes you think a witcher would stop by Passiflora? I thought they didn't have emotions, or something of that sort," I commented. Marquise shook her head and stood from her table.

"Witchers don't normally display much emotion, but that doesn't mean they don't feel lust. They may be mutants, but even monsters must breed." The woman shut her book and grabbed her drink.

"If the witcher arrives, treat him like any other paying man. I will not tolerate the loss of money because of silly prejudice." Amrynn and I nodded as Marquise left to speak with other strumpets, most likely warning them about the possibility of a witcher.

"Have you ever met a witcher?" I asked Amrynn curiously.

"No, but my brother hired one to get rid of a nekker infestation in his village a long time ago. He said he was rude and curt, but did the job well enough." Amrynn shook her head with a tut. "Witcher or not, I won't be tolerating any form of disrespect if that witcher comes strolling in with an attitude." Once again, our conversation was put on hold as another nobleman approached to 'talk' with Amrynn. I let the two be and wandered away to lounge delicately on a chaise. The night was coming close and more drunkards would be coming as the night passed on. I let out a small sigh and let my gaze wander to a tall window. Even though I had a roof over my head and coin in my pocket, I knew this wasn't the life I wanted to live. But what choice did I have? It was either this, or starving in the bits. Or worse, stuck in Velen.

My mind began to wander back to the witcher in Novigrad. Everyone knew the horror stories of children being taken away to train as monster hunters. Though few and far between, witchers gained their infamy from word-of-mouth. Everyone seemed to hold a distaste for the whole lot of them, calling witchers mutants and non-humans despite the fact that a fair amount were humans by nature. At least, before they became witchers.

I was taken from my thoughts when Marquise passed by me and snapped in my face.

"He's here," was all she said, and I knew what she meant. The witcher was in Passiflora.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite my curiosity, I forced myself to remain lounging on the chaise. I would see the witcher in due time, but my curiosities could not get in the way of other paying guests. The room seemed to quiet as the witcher entered the building. Other strumpets were staring, some with interest, and some with disgust. I could not quite see the witcher from the corners of my eyes, but that didn't stop me from hearing the conversation between him and Marquise.

"White Wolf! Welcome to the Passiflora!" A pause. "Oh, no sign of recognition in your eyes," commented Marquise.

"Greetings, uh..."

"Don't fret, I'm sure I look quite different from when we last saw each other." Questions popped into my head about when Marquise met this witcher to have recognized him so easily.

"Er, which was...?" Marquise laughed fondly.

"Oh, eons ago. You and Master Dandelion appeared, two halflings in tow. What a smash they were, the little chaps. We recount that night to this day."

"So the, uh..staff hasn't changed since then?" I could practically feel Marquise roll her eyes.

"Oh, of course it has! It does so incessantly in this business." I could attest to that, remembering one strumpet that had been dropped recently for beginning to develop horrible wrinkles. "So? Shall I summon the girls?" At those words, I fidgeted with my clothing and stood in order to appear more alluring. That's when I finally spotted the witcher.

His appearance surprised me. I expected something more deformed or animal-like with the way the tales depicted them. I never expected someone so, human looking. Well, besides the silver white hair and cat-like eyes. The witcher's two swords were strapped to his back, glinting in the light of the setting sun. Again, my thoughts wandered to the ways this witcher has had to use them, and I quickly waved away those thoughts before it became unbearable.

Ripping my eyes from the witcher, I spotted Amrynn emerging from the stairs with her last client following after. She quickly spotted me and sauntered over.

"So, the white wolf is in Novigrad." I glanced at Amrynn from the corner of my eye.

"You know him?"

"This witcher in particular is fairly famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask. That bard Dandelion sings about him a lot, that much I can say." I nodded, knowing the bard she spoke of. The witcher and Marquise seemed to finish their conversation, and the witcher started to make his way around the main floor, most likely looking for a girl of interest. Amrynn took my arm and forced my eyes to meet hers.

"If the witcher chooses you, please be careful. You don't know what he is capable of," Amrynn whispered in hushed tones, her eyes flickering to said man. I nodded, Amrynn giving me one last squeeze before leaving my side to make her rounds. A few men passed to make small conversation with me, but ultimately decided I was not of their taste. Fine by me. My attention was mostly taken by the witcher who roamed the room as well.

I forced myself to, once again, take my eyes of the witcher. He's just another customer, nothing beyond that. Besides, a new group of men just strolled in, nearly doubling the volume in the Passiflora. Just from their talk alone, you could tell they were shitfaced. Marquise would not be happy. A stray one began to stroll up to me, and I could feel my limbs lock in distaste.

"Fellas! Here's a pretty 'un. Got eyes like the sea, you do miss," slurred the man. His breath stank of alcohol, and his friends weren't any better.

"She looks like yer sister!" Howled one of the men, the rest laughing along with him as the man who initially spoke to me began to sputter.

"Fuck off!" The man turned to me to resume any attempts he wanted to make at getting me in bed with him. But I was having none of it.

"Why don't you fuck off? The Passiflora does not tolerate rabble like you in here," I sneered, narrowing my eyes in distaste. The men were ruffled at that and all glared at me.

"What was that you stupid little whore?" One man grabbed my forearm, tugging me so his face was near mine. The stench of cheap alcohol was disgusting and made me want to cover my nose. "I'll teach you to watch your stupid mouth!" He raised his hand, and I instinctively shut my eyes in preparation.

"Enough." I opened my eyes and turned to see the witcher, his yellow eyes narrowed at the group of drunkards. My shoulders sagged in relief when the man released me, only to get in the witcher's face.

"Looks fellas! We got a mutant in Novigrad, another freak of nature!" The group roared with laughter and began to surround the witcher. Despite being outnumbered, he remained calm and spoke as normal.

"It's time for you all to leave." The man in front of the witcher spit on the ground and smirked back up at the witcher, who towered over him.

"Back off you freak. We have every right to fuck some whores!" My eye twitched at the word and, if I wasn't outnumbered, I would have been inclined to walk up and punch the smirk of that man's face. The witcher glanced around him at the group of men, then at Marquise who noticed the scene.

"I said," the witcher moved his hand in an odd manner, "it's time for you all to leave." I watched in amazement as the men around him shook their heads as if in a daze, a white aura surrounding them for a moment.

"Yes, it's time to go..." The group left without another word, their eyes glazed over. What the hell...?

"Are you alright?" I looked back to see the witcher now in front of me, his cat-like eyes staring into my own.

"Yes, yes I'm okay." His eyes moved down to my forearm, and I observed the red marks from where the man grabbed me. "Nothing I'm not used to witcher. Thank you for stepping in, however. How can I repay you?" After the words slipped from my mouth, I remembered what situation we were in. I swallowed a lump in my throat and tried my best to remain charming and sexy. Just like a strumpet is supposed to be. The witcher looked at me up and down, his yellow eyes making me fidget a bit under his gaze. Normally, I can read customer's eyes easily: lust, greed, and entitlement are normally what lay in them. But with the witcher, it was difficult to understand what he was thinking.

"I like you, like how you look." And just like that, the witcher chose me.

"Why don't we discuss where we go from here in a more private setting."


	3. Chapter 3

All the way up the steps, my heart was pounding in anticipation. Normally customers don't make me feel so nervous and out of control. Then again, normally my customers aren't witchers. Amrynn's words of warning were still echoing in my head about how I needed to be careful with witchers. A part of my brain reasoned that he was just here for a good time like any other man. Nothing would be different. But the other part of my brain fed me fears of what the witcher had the capability of doing to me.

I swallowed a lump in my throat and led the witcher to an empty room anyway, mentally preparing myself for what was about to happen. I turned to the witcher who shut the door, already stripping away his armor and weapons. My fingers played with the ribbons that held together my clothing before finally tugging at them to loosen what I wore.

"So, white wolf, do I get the pleasure of knowing your name?" I purred, letting my top drop to the ground. The witcher looked up at me, pausing his actions.

"Geralt, Geralt of Rivia. And you would be?"

"Tanea, of Novigrad." I sauntered up to Geralt, placing a hand where his collarbone was. "But you can call me whatever you like." Geralt gave a small smile at that before taking my hand in his own. His eyes once again found themselves on the marks on my forearm.

"That's nothing to concern yourself with. I'm sure you've endured much worse than I have," I commented, slipping my hand from his to lay on his arm where scars already poked through his shirt.

"Maybe. But at least they're from monsters, not men. And besides, not all scars are external." Geralt and I's eyes met, an unspoken message passing between them. With each sentence he spoke, I began to grow more curious about the witcher. So far, he's been nothing but pleasant. Even more of a gentleman than many of the so-called noblemen.

"Don't be so kind Geralt. Men are monsters too." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even think to stop them. I felt a stone sink in my stomach. If I upset the witcher. Who knows what kind of hell I'll face. However, my fears were assuaged when Geralt's face broke into a grin at my comment.

"Right you are Tanea, right you are." Remembering that I wasn't here for a conversation, I moved my hands back to Geralt's chest to pull at the collar of his cotton shirt.

"But that's enough chit chat, don't you think Geralt?" I murmured in a sweet voice, my eyes peeking through my lashes.

"You can stop doing that." I blinked in confusion and properly looked up at Geralt.

"Stop doing what?"

"You can stop pretending. Pretending that you want to do this, pretending that you aren't afraid of me," Geralt stated plainly, taking a step back from my arms. Well, this has never happened before. Is this normal for witchers?

"What makes you think I'm afraid of you?" I questioned, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"I could hear your heart pounding the entire time we were walking here." Geralt smirked and crossed his arms. "Though now it's seemed to finally slow down." My cheeks warmed in embarrassment, briefly forgetting that witchers had enhanced senses.

"I wasn't afraid of you. More just, nervous. That's all," I defended, wanting to save some kind of dignity. "It's not my fault that I've never met a witcher, much less went to bed with one." Geralt cocked an eyebrow at that comment.

"You've never had another witcher come into the brothel before?" I shook my head and flipped a lock of black hair out of my face.

"As long as I've been here, there hasn't been a witcher to visit. Though it seems like you've been here before." I raised my eyes up to Geralt who nodded absentmindedly.

"Yes, a long time ago..." Silence fell between us and I leaned back on the bed with a huff.

"Well, are you going to do what you came here for, or are we going to keep talking?" Geralt looked at me thoughtfully before crossing the room to grab my top from where I left it on the floor. He outstretched it towards me.

"Not to offend your physical beauty Tanea, but I much rather talk to you." I took the clothing from Geralt and easily slipped it back on. Not that it covered much more of me.

"No offense taken. It's been a while since I've actually been able to hold a proper conversation with a man. Most of the time it's him slurring together words that are supposed to get me 'in the mood' or something ridiculous," I snarked, rolling my eyes at the very thought. "You can at least give me a straight and proper answer." Geralt sat next to me on the bed, turning to face towards me.

"If you like having actual conversations with people, why be a strumpet?" He asked curiously. I shook my head and looked down at my feet.

"Do you think I wanted to do this by choice?" I chuckled darkly.

"There's got to be something else for you," Geralt replied. I tilted my head to look at Geralt, my eyes surveying him carefully. Now that his armor was gone, I could see the muscles that rippled underneath his shirt. Admittedly, he was a very handsome man. My eyes moved up to his face to find his eyes watching me, any emotions carefully concealed.

"There was. And then just like that, there wasn't." I combed my fingers restlessly through my hair, tossing it behind my shoulder only to have it fall back down. Geralt hummed thoughtfully in response.

"Maybe I could just be a monster hunter like you. At least I wouldn't be stuck here," I joked. Geralt rewarded me with a small smile before looking over to where his swords leaned against the wall.

"You want to travel?" He questioned. I could only shrug.

"I'm certainly not against it. I've only been to Velen and Novigrad, and I can't say I'm fond of either of these places. At least in Novigrad I can work." Geralt hummed again and looked at me.

"Velen? I thought your accent sounded more Temerian than Redanian." He paused and furrowed his eyebrows. "If you're from Velen, then why do you introduce yourself from Novigrad?"

"I may have been born in Velen, but Novigrad, for the moment, is my home. Besides, a place doesn't define who I am, Geralt of Rivia." He smiled again before huffing and standing up.

"Well, I've used up enough of your time Tanea. It's about time I'm on my way." Geralt moved to begin putting his armor back on, his swords being strapped to his back once again. I watched curiously, my eyes raking down the length of his swords. Geralt turned to me again, and I quickly looked towards the door as if I wasn't watching him. Though by the way he smirked, I knew he was aware of my staring.

"Why did you come into a brothel if you weren't going to use our services?" I asked curiously, standing up next to Geralt. The witcher paused his movements, furrowing his brow as his eyes gazed at the door in concentration.

"Geralt?"

"I have to go." Before I could ask what he meant, Geralt opened the door and drew one of his swords, heading towards the stairwell. My blood ran cold at the sight of his sword at the ready. That's when I noticed the yelling coming from downstairs. Not again...

"Stay in that room!" Without another word, Geralt was gone. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled with anticipation. Nothing good could come from this.


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing I heard was the yelling. The second thing I heard was the clash of swords. Those sounds alone drove me to the stairs. My mind screamed at me to stay in the room like Geralt said. But my body disobeyed and took me to the stairs anyway, at least to see what the hell was happening downstairs. Peering between the poles of the banister, I spotted Geralt in the midst of a group of men with swords. To be more specific, Whoreson's henchmen. My jaw clenched seeing the idiots with their swords swinging at Geralt. Whoreson's henchmen wandered the streets of Novigrad and caused trouble for anyone they felt like. Whoreson Junior was just as bad as his lot, if not worse. I wonder what Geralt had done to invoke their wrath enough for them to search him out...

I didn't have much time to wonder as the sound of fighting brought me back to the present. Geralt had been forced back towards a wall, outnumbered by Whoreson's henchmen. His eyes caught mine from the corner of his eyes.

"Get in a god damn room!" He yelled before clashing swords with another henchmen. His shout called the attention of some men to where I stood at the top of the steps. I locked eyes with one of them and my blood instantly ran cold.

"Hey! It's that whore Tanea!" Fuck. A couple of the henchmen broke off from the group to storm up the stairs. I spun around and broke into a run down the hall. There was another exit that would lead to the outer stairwell. If I made it there, I could escape into the streets and hopefully lose them. I could hear the henchmen close behind, their yelling mixing with the blood that was pounding in my ears. I just _had_ to get tangled up with Whoreson Junior, didn't I?

"Cut her off!" Just as I was about to reach the exit, another henchman burst through the door with his blade drawn.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck," I cursed, turning around to see that I was blocked both ways. I could try to lock myself in a room, but then I'd be stuck with no way out but jumping from the window

"Geralt! Now would be a great time to get your witcher ass up here!" I yell in panic as the henchmen close in on me. On cue, I saw Geralt rush up the steps and stab his sword through one of the henchmen. Any relief that flooded me was taken away when one man grabbed me from behind, a blade coming to sit uncomfortably close to my neck. As Geralt cut the head off of the last man, he turned to see the position I was in.

"Drop your sword, or the whore's head rolls," sneered the man. Geralt kept his sword trained at the man, and he pressed the edge of the blade tighter to my skin. I gasped in response, my body stiffening at the sensation of the cold metal. With a grunt, Geralt dropped his sword and held his hands up to placate the henchmen.

"Listen-"

"No YOU listen you son of a bitch! You're going to let me leave with this whore, or else she isn't making it out of this building alive," threatened the henchman. His seething anger was clear, and I could have a guess that he was someone closer to Whoreson Junior in ranks. Geralt raised his hands a little bit to say something, but the henchman responded by pressing the blade harder into my skin. The area stung, and I knew he had cut into my skin. Geralt's eyes locked onto mine, most likely searching for pain or panic. Instead, I gave him a hard stare in return.

"Do what you must." In a flash, I pulled my leg up and thrust it back and up, hitting my mark. The henchmen howled in pain, his hold loosening enough for me to thrust my body away from him. In the blink of an eye, Geralt moved his hand in a specific manner that sent the henchman flying down the hall and onto the ground.

"Stay behind me." Geralt scooped up his sword again and wasted no time ending the fight for good. I gingerly touched my neck to find blood on my fingertips. Nothing life threatening, but inconvenient at worst. Besides, Geralt was far more roughed up than I was.

"Are you alright?" Speak of the devil. I turned to look up at Geralt, surveying the damage done to him. He didn't look horribly roughed up: some potential bruises and a knick here and there. Otherwise, he was unscathed.

"I'm alright Geralt. What about you? You're the one that did the actual fighting here." Geralt shook his head, sheathing his sword.

"I've had much worse. Nothing some cleaning up and rest won't do." His eyes moved to take a look at the cut on my neck.

"I'll be okay, it's just a flesh wound. But, it could have been much worse... How can I ever repay you for saving my life?" I asked earnestly. If Geralt hadn't come in time, who knows where I'd be now. Who knows if I'd even be here now...

"We'll just call it even since I never paid you." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"That's hardly even, Geralt. You saved my life!" Geralt looked at me with a curious look in his eyes. What I wouldn't give to know what thoughts were running through his head.

"Fine, then I claim the Law of Surprise. What you find at home yet don't expect will be what I claim. That's even for saving your life, yes?" I swallowed nervously and nodded. The Law of Surprise. I didn't exactly expect that to be his request. The way he off-handedly threw it out as a suggestion was, well, surprising. I've heard of others who claimed the Law of Surprise and having to give up their firstborn. However, I wasn't with child at the moment. Besides, he said whatever I find at home. So, the brothel?

"Yes, that is of equal value." Geralt chuckled and rest his hand on my shoulder.

"Trust me, I'm not interested in claiming anything of the sort in your lifetime. I'll be out of your hair before you know it," he reassured me, giving my shoulder a small squeeze. His hand moved to brush his fingertips against my neck. I could feel my cheeks flush before realizing that he was observing the cut on my neck.

"You should probably bandage that up." I nodded silently, moving my eyes away from his face to a door that was down the hall.

"I'm going to go to my room to fix myself up."

"Then I'm going to be on my way before I cause any more trouble for the Passiflora." Geralt's eyes sought out mine, and a moment of silence passed between us. "I should also talk to the madame." I could only nod, my head lost in the clouds from the events that just occurred.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked again, his voice soft. I shook my head to gain focus again.

"I'm fine Geralt. Or at least, I will be. I think I just need to splash some cold water on my face." I smiled up at the witcher pleasantly. "I won't stand in your way anymore witcher. It was nice to meet you, despite what followed after." Geralt chuckled at that comment.

"It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Tanea. I hope to see you again some day."

"Well, you always know where to find me." We smiled at each other before Geralt stepped back to head past me. I watched him retreat down the steps before allowing myself to walk to my private bedroom. I released a breath I didn't realize I was holding when I was finally in the safety of my room. My heart was still pounding after the incident, but I could feel myself calming down. I turned to face the dresser, a mirror propped up on top of it. The cut on my neck was beginning to scab, but I should still dress it just in case.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt an odd sensation in my gut, making it difficult to look away from myself. Somehow, I knew I would be seeing Geralt again very soon.


	5. Chapter 5

A week had passed since the incident with Geralt. It's all been a blur since then because the brothel was preparing for its high stakes Gwent tournament. Every year, the Passiflora hosted this Gwent tournament for serious and accomplished players. In the week leading up to it, us strumpets tend to work harder to make up for the day without customers. When the tournament began, all other patrons would be kicked out while the tournament occurred. This meant a whole day without earning a single coin.

Still, the day came. As I perused the main floor in search of any patrons I could sneak in before the tournament, more and more players came in to sign up for the tournament. I recognized a few of them: Finneas and Count Tybalt specifically. Finneas was an annoying prick who always had a temper and made racist comments every other breath. Count Tybalt, however, is the one who officially hosts the Gwent tournament. He paid a handsome amount to rent out the Passiflora, and I know Marquise could never complain about losing customers. Not seeing many regular customers in sight, I gave up my search and instead decided to approach Amrynn.

"Big day, isn't it?" I nudged Amrynn's elbow to grab her attention. She glanced at me from the corner of her eye and nodded.

"It's certainly a nice break from the humdrum of every other day. Though I wish I could compete," she grumbled unhappily. Amrynn was, in my words, addicted to playing Gwent. Get her started, and she'll challenge every man in a pub to try and defeat her in a game. I personally didn't find much appeal in it. While I could hold my own, I still never bothered to play much. Only when Amrynn pesters me enough will I play.

"You know Marquise said we weren't allowed to enter. Besides, I don't think you have all the right cards to compete with Count Tybalt's standards." Amrynn grumbled again and turned to face me instead.

"That's it. Tonight, you _have_ to play some Gwent with me. I might go insane otherwise," she stated with a pout. I rolled my eyes at the elf.

"You know you would easily win, Amrynn," I countered matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but it's still fun. Plus! I believe when we play together, you're improving slowly." I was about to shoot back a sharp response when I felt a weird sensation in my stomach. Something, and I'm not sure what, compelled me to look around the room. My eyes instantly landed on him. Geralt. He was talking to another woman on the other side of the room. I didn't recognize her, but she must have been one of the players for the tournament. Was Geralt here to play Gwent? I suppose having lived so long, witchers might be skilled gwent players.

After his conversation finished with the woman, I watched as he began to mingle with the other players. As if feeling my stare, Geralt's eyes glanced away from a halfling and his gaze found mine. A small smile played at his lips. When his conversation finished, he made his way towards me. Amrynn swatted my arm playfully before finding something else to occupy her time.

"Play Gwent often?" I asked when Geralt was close enough.

"When the situation presents itself, I normally don't turn down a round of Gwent. It's a fun way to pass the time." I nodded, his deep voice resonating within my chest.

"You must be fairly decent if you spent that much coin to enter a high stakes tournament." Geralt shrugged and glanced around at the other players.

"I like my odds. And, I'm not one to turn down a monetary prize." The room began to quiet, and I spotted Count Tybalt descending the stairs.

"I guess the tournament is starting," I whispered to Geralt as we both turned to face him. Even as we watched the Count, I felt my face burning as if someone was looking at me. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Geralt still hadn't looked away from me. The look in his eyes was, odd. I couldn't quite place what it meant. Before I could ponder on it more, Geralt finally looked away as Count Tybalt discussed the rules, and the pairs for the first round were announced. Geralt was paired with Bernard Tulle, the halfling he talked with before.

"Good luck Geralt!" I said to him with a smile. The witcher thanked me before going off to a table to play. Even though I didn't have much interest in the game, I still watched Geralt's match with curiosity. Amrynn had joined my side once more to observe to match as well, more than likely curious about Geralt's Gwent skills.

After some time, Geralt turned out victorious. Bernard, thankfully, was a gracious loser and shook hands with Geralt. Before I could go up to congratulate him, the woman from before, Sasha as I learned, walked up to Geralt to speak with him. Slowly, Sasha whisked Geralt away upstairs. While I was burning with curiosity about what they needed to discuss in private, I didn't follow.

"What do you think those two are discussing?" I asked Amrynn, my eyes still following the two until they disappeared from sight.

"Beats me. Why, are you jealous of that woman? Wish it was you?" Amrynn teased. My cheeks flushed red, and I scoffed as if that was the most preposterous thing in the world.

"As if! What do I have to be jealous of? I'm just curious about what they have to discuss in private. Especially since they might face each other in the tournament," I shot back, crossing my arms in a defensive manner. Amrynn rolled her eyes at my childish behavior.

"You can say that all you want, Tanea. But your cheeks are flaming red." Covering my cheeks in embarrassment, we watched the rest of the round one matches. Geralt and Sasha came back downstairs at some point, and I was able to congratulate him properly. With all of the matches now finished, the winners move on to round two. Geralt was to play Sasha. The two exchanged a few words before beginning their match. You could tell that both players were highly experienced. They went back and forth for so long and their match was the last to finish with Geralt reigning victorious once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third round. The heat is on!" Announced Count Tybalt. Geralt and Finneas were the only players left. Finneas spat out some disgusting comments before finally settling down to play Geralt. I watched nervously as Geralt and Finneas played their match. I hated to admit it, but Finneas was a good player. The two were neck and neck for the longest time, until Geralt played a card that defeated Finneas.

"The mutant cheated! I'll gouge those devilish eyes out with my bare hands!" Finneas yelled in a rage. Before anyone could step in, Finneas threw a punch at Geralt. Despite how angry the half elf was, he was not physically built enough to take down Geralt, who eventually knocked him on his ass.

"Serves him right," I muttered angrily. Geralt rolled his neck and turned to Count Tybalt who approached him to discuss the final round in which they would play against each other. Finneas got himself up and moved into a corner to sulk about being beat twice. Count Tybalt led Geralt to a table, and their match began. Everyone was crowded around to watch. Well, almost everyone. I noted that some of the early players had left after their loses, including the halfling. I had figured Bernard would have wanted to stay and watch considering he enjoyed the game so much. No matter, before everyone knew it, Geralt had won the Gwent tournament. Myself and some of the other strumpets clapped in praise as Count Tybalt congratulated Geralt and offered him the prize money.

"Thief! The coin's gone! The guard's been stabbed!"


	6. Chapter 6

"Thief! The coin's gone! The guard's been stabbed!" We all turned to the scribe who was accompanied by two guards. The prize money was stolen? I looked to Geralt, and he seemed to be sharing a look with Sasha. Don't tell me either of them had something to do with this...

"No one's removed the coin from the premises," spoke up one of the guards. "All those leaving were searched." Count Tybalt scowled angrily.

"We must scour the building. Anyone leaving must pass inspection," ordered the Count. The guards dispersed to search more along with Count Tybalt and the scribe. Geralt moved over to talk to Sasha quietly. Both of them had worried expressions on their faces. A hand was laid on my arm and I turned to find Marquise.

"The guards will be searching through all of our quarters. I'm sorry, I couldn't change their mind," she whispered softly. I nodded in understanding. It couldn't be helped. Not with 9000 crowns on the line. My eyes found Geralt again as he traveled upstairs with Sasha, most likely to investigate. Why Sasha was with him, however, was beyond me.

"Can you believe someone was stupid enough to steal the coin?" I turned to Amrynn who was looking around the room with skepticism. I shook my head with distaste, crossing my arms over my chest.

"It was to be expected I guess. 9000 crowns? I'm surprised it wasn't stolen sooner." I heard footsteps and noticed Geralt and Sasha coming back downstairs, both heading outside.

"Do you think they got a lead?" I wondered out loud.

"Let's hope so, I don't exactly like these guards bumbling around here and going through our stuff..." Amrynn grumbled, her eyes darting to a couple of the guards on the other side of the room.

"Maybe if we help the investigation, we can get them out as soon as possible," I suggested absentmindedly. Amyrnn shot me a snarky response about not wanting to get involved with the mess, but I wasn't listening as I found myself wandering outside where Geralt and Sasha had left. The cool night brushed my bare shoulders, and I took a moment to breathe in the clean air. I never had much reason to leave the Passiflora or its premises. In fact, I made it a goal not to wander too far lest I run into trouble with a certain group of bastards. However, I missed being able to walk around amidst the bustle of people in the market. Maybe on one of my days off, I'd find myself brave enough to venture around the city.

Taking one last moment to enjoy the clear night, I set out to find out where Geralt had gone. Only to see if I could help, of course. He wasn't around Passiflora, but as I approached the main roads, I noticed him on his way towards another part of the city. Sasha was notably missing. Had he told her to leave him to his job? Before I could wander any farther, I felt someone grab my wrist.

"Sorry miss, but all of you ladies have to stay inside. It's jus' me orders." I turned to face the guard who stopped me and put on a sweet smile.

"Alright, sorry to trouble you sir." The guard smiled sheepishly, clearly new since he was affected by my smile. I walked back inside with the guard, my mind wondering how long it would take Geralt to find the stolen gold.

~~~

As day turned to evening, then to night, Geralt eventually returned to inform Marquise that he had retrieved the prize money. Sasha, notably, did not return with him, or to the Passiflora at any point. Upon the insistence of the other strumpets, Geralt sat down and told the tale of what had happened to the coin. They gathered around him excitedly, and I stood at the edge of the crowd, curious about what had happened.

"Well well, a witcher saves the day. You don't hear that very often." I glanced at Amrynn who stood next to me, her eyes pinned to Geralt.

"Didn't you say your brother's village was saved from some nekkers by a witcher?" Amrynn shrugged indifferently and tossed her blonde locks over her shoulder.

"Only because he was paid to do it. He wasn't particularly jumping at the chance to help my brother or the others." The distaste in Amrynn's voice was palpable, and I decided not to push the topic. She clearly held her prejudices. I glanced back at the witcher who was finishing up his story. Just as he told the ending, Marquise approached the group and chided us for slacking on the job. With the tournament over, customers would be coming back in for some entertainment. The girls broke up the group and began to go back to their normal routine as a couple of men strolled in. Amrynn left my side to go up to her room since she was not working tonight. I waved her off with a promise to join her later.

"You know, there's something I never got to ask you about." I jumped slightly at the voice suddenly next to me and turned to face Geralt who towered over me. How did I not hear him approach me? His wry smile told me he enjoyed my surprise. I quickly composed myself and crossed my arms.

"And what would that be?" I asked curiously.

"Last week, when we got tangled up with some of whoreson's henchmen, it was pretty apparent that they held some vendetta against you," he commented off-handedly. I cocked an eyebrow up at Geralt. "I'm just wondering what a strumpet could have done to piss off a couple of thugs." I scoffed and tossed my hair over my shoulder in mock confidence.

"You don't believe that I could have done some underground work against Whoreson Junior?" I tut at the witcher within a smirk. "Don't judge a book by its cover," I chastised. A smirk worked its way onto Geralt's face at my teasing. "But to answer your question, let's say for now that Whoreson and I have a long and fucked up history. Maybe one day I'll tell you the whole story."

"That day may have to be soon. I'm actually looking to have a chat with the man himself." My shoulders stiffened at that, my spine now straight as a board.

"I don't think that's a good idea Geralt," I muttered lowly, my heart picking up speed at the memories of my time with Whoreson Junior. Geralt seemed to notice this and quickly jumped to ease my mind.

"I'm not asking you to accompany me but, you see, it seems he's gone into hiding, and any information I could get about his whereabouts would be much appreciated." I glanced around, suddenly very aware of the people around us. I caught Marquise's eye who looked ready to march over and give me hell for not trying to seduce some money out of Geralt.

"Listen, swing around tomorrow when I'm not working. My tale's a long one, and Marquise looks ready to skin me alive for not throwing myself out there, alright?" Geralt glanced to the side at the madame and nodded in response.

"Alright, I'll come by tomorrow in the morning. Until then." Geralt took his leave, and I forced myself back into routine to make up for my slacking. Despite that, my mind began to wander about tomorrow. Hopefully I could help Geralt with whatever he was trying to accomplish.


End file.
